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Pretty much anything that does not go exactly according to plan in the securities markets these days is likely to spark a frenzy of lawsuits, and Facebook's rocky public debut is no exception.
At least three lawsuits have been filed over the company's initial public offering, including one in the Southern District of New York on behalf of three purchasers of Facebook common stock. The suit alleges that Facebook's SEC filings prior to going public included "untrue statements of material fact," chiefly regarding the company's admission that its ability to monetize mobile users remains a challenge.
From the lawsuit:
The true facts at the time of the IPO were that Facebook was then experiencing a severe and pronounced reduction in revenue growth due to an increase of users of its Facebook app or website through mobile devices rather than a traditional PC such that the Company told the Underwriter Defendants to materially lower their revenue forecasts for 2012. And, defendants failed to disclose that during the roadshow conducted in connection with the IPO, certain of the Underwriter Defendants reduced their second quarter and full year 2012 performance estimates for Facebook, which revisions were material information which awas not shared with all Facebook investors, but rather, was selectively disclosed by defendants to certain preferred investors and omitted from the Registration Statement and/or Prospectus.
The defendants named in the suit include Facebook executives Mark Zuckerberg, CFO David Ebersman and Chief Accounting Officer David Spillane; board members Marc Andreessen, Erskine Bowles, Jim Breyer, Donald Graham, Reed Hastings and Peter Thiel; and underwriters Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Barclays Capital.
The suit relies on reporting from Reuters, which discovered that underwriters including Morgan Stanley lowered their estimates on the social network's revenue growth during the roadshow. Morgan Stanley has said that it followed its standard operating procedure for IPOs with Facebook.
Shares of Facebook managed a slim gain from the IPO price of $38 when they debuted Friday, but then spent the next two sessions in free-fall. The stock finally righted itself Wednesday, climbing 4.5% to $32.40.
As Forbes' Halah Touryalai points out, the global Wall Street research settlement in the wake of the tech bubble aimed to separate analysts from the bankers crafting and selling a deal like Facebook's. While this situation may show the settlement had its desired effect, the trouble arises if firms were cherry-picking which clients were privy to the fact that its analysts had dimmed their outlook on the social network. (See "Morgan Stanley Hit With Subpoena Over Facebook IPO.")
Meanwhile, the finger-pointing over Facebook's dud of a public debut continues. In a in a front-page story Wednesday cited sources who said CFO David Ebersman was the driving force behind a 25% increase in the size of the deal less than a week before the offering priced, though he was on the same page as the top Morgan Stanley banker on the deal
Michael Grimes, the co-head of global technology banking at Morgan Stanley, was his main confidant, they added.
"This IPO was an Ebersman and Grimes show," said one of the people familiar with the matter. "They were joined at the hip."
A separate lawsuit brought against Nasdaq OMX Group, alleges negligence on the part of the stock exchange operator, which delayed the initial trading in Facebook on Friday due to technical issues and then struggled to send execution confirmations notifying customers of completed trades for several hours.
Follow @SchaeferStreet on Twitter, or subscribe to updates on Facebook or Forbes at the top of this post.


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Click below to learn more about this crazy guy the world calls "Dan Austin"
Wanna trade? Check out my Sportscards and Comic Books wantlist!
I love to collect baseball cards. Check out Vintage Card Traders - an online card trading group I founded in 1999!
Why spend all your money on vintage sports cards when you can surf online to The Virtual Card Collection!
If you like vintage OPC Baseball cards, check out O-Pee-Chee Central (OPCC).
Travel back in time to 1966 and enter the mind of a 12-year-old with the quirky cartoon "Lost in Space"
Learn more about "the perfect pet" (guinea pigs) at Dan & Brenda's House of Piggies! [NO LONGER BEING UPDATED]
Need help designing your web page? Try this link for reference info from an HTML class I taught a few years ago. [NO LONGER BEING UPDATED]
While it is true that I am cool, God is much cooler. Check out the Fredericksburg Church of Christ Home Page for more info on Dan's congregation of choice!

subset: commoncrawl


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I spent the month of September lecturing, and interacting with (literally) thousands of entrepreneurs in two emerging startup markets, Finland and Russia. This is the first of two posts about Finland and entrepreneurship.
I was invited to Finland as part of Stanford's Engineering Technology Venture Program partnership with Aalto University. (Thanks to Kristo Ovaska and team for the fabulous logistics!) I presented to thousands of entrepreneurs, talked to 17 startups, gave 12 lectures, had nine interviews, chatted with eight VC's, sat on four panels, talked policy with two government ministers, two members of parliament, one head of a public pension fund and was in one TV documentary.
Steve Blank is a retired serial entrepreneur, educator, thought leader and creator of the rigorous "Customer Development" methodology detailed in his book, "The Four Steps to the Epiphany." Blank teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford University and UC Berkeley and blogs at steveblank.com.
A Computer in every Home
What I found in Finland was:
- A whole lot of smart, passionate entrepreneurs who want to build a startup hub in Helsinki
- A government that's trying to help, but gets in the way
- A number of exciting startups, but most with a narrow, too-local view of the world
- The sense that, before too long, they may well get it right!
While a week is not enough time to understand a country, this post – the first of two – looks at the Finnish entrepreneurial ecosystem and its strengths and weaknesses.
The Helsinki Spring
Entrepreneurship and innovation are bubbling around Helsinki and Aalto University. There are thousands of excited students, and Aalto University is working hard to become an outward-facing institution. Having a critical mass of people who think startups are cool in the same location is a key indicator of whether a cluster can catch fire. Finnish startup successes on a global stage include MySQL, F-Secure, Rovio, Habbo, Playfish, The Switch, Tectia, Trulia and Linux. While it's not clear yet whether the numbers of startups in Helsinki are sufficient to ignite, it feels like it's getting there (and given the risk-averse and paternal nature of Finland, that by itself is a miracle).
The good news is that for a 5 million-person country, there's an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem that looks like something this:
- Aalto University: Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship, Aalto Entrepreneurship Society
- Startup Accelerators: Startup SaunaVigo which includes Lifeline Ventures, KoppiCatch, and Veturi
- Startup Blog: Arctic Startup
- Business Angels: FiBAn, Sitra
- Venture Capital: FVCA, NextIt Ventures, Primus Ventures, Open Ocean Capital, Connor VC, and Inventure
- Government Funding: Tekes, Sitra, Finnvera, Finnish Investment Industry
steve blank in finland sept 2011
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9-to-5 Venture Capital
Ironically one of the things that's holding back the Finnish cluster is Tekes, the government organization for financing research, development and innovation in Finland. It's hard enough to pick which existing companies with known business models to aid. Yet Tekes does that and is trying to act like a government-run Venture Capital firm. At Tekes, government employees (and their hired consultants) – with no equity, no risk or reward, no startup or venture capital experience – try to pick startup winners and losers.
Tekes has ended up competing with and stifling the nascent VC industry, indiscriminately handing out checks to entrepreneurs like an entitlement. (To be fair this is an extension of the government's role in almost all parts of Finnish life.)
In addition to Tekes, Vigo, the government's attempt at funding private business accelerators, started with good intentions and got hijacked by government bureaucrats. The accelerators I met with (the ones the government pointed to as their success stories) said they were leaving the program.
Tekes lacks a long-term plan of what the Finnish government's role should be in funding startups. I suggested that they might want to consider putting themselves out of the public funding business by using public capital to kick-start private venture capital firms, incubators and accelerators. And they should give themselves a 5-10 year plan to do so. Instead they seem to be stuck in the twilight zone of not having a long-term vision of their role. (There have been tons of reports on what to do, all seemingly ignored by an entrenched bureaucracy.)
Lack of Business Experience
Direct government funding of startups has also delayed the maturation of business experience of local angels and VC's. Finnish private investors don't yet have enough time-in-grade to have developed good pattern recognition skills, and most lack operating backgrounds. I have no doubt they'll get there by themselves, but in wouldn't take much imagination to attempt to recruit some seasoned overseas investors to add to the mix.
Even a more serious challenge is the lack of global business competence. The number of serial entrepreneurs is very low and until recently most of the talented sales and marketing professionals choose to work for Nokia.
Part Two, with more observations about Finland and the "Lessons Learned," will follow shortly.
Helsinki photo by Timo Newton-Syms


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Quote Of The Day - Bryan Fischer
"In a strange way, it is a badge of honor for these groups to be tagged now by the SPLC as hate groups. It's a sign of desperation on the part of the SPLC, and a sign that they are so threatened by the truths that these groups speak that they are now flailing about trying to silence them rather than to debate them. They've given up winning on points, and so have taken to trying to run them off the field. Their strategy now is not to persuade the public but to demonize their cultural adversaries.
"I've often maintained that liberals, progressives, Democrats, socialists, Marxists, etc. - they're all the same under the covers - hate free speech. They hate freedom of religion, and they hate freedom of the press, because such freedoms threaten their stranglehold on public discourse and their goal of indoctrinating the American people with their non-traditional moral values. They hate the First Amendment, for the very reason that it was designed by the Founders to protect robust public discourse on political and social matters." - American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer.
(Via - Good As You)
Labels: AFA, Bryan Fischer, hate groups, Quote Of The Day


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Resources Directory
Search below to find a hospital, doctor, therapy, and more
Federal Way Parks and Recreation Division
The City of Federal Way Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department is managed by the Administrative Division and is organized into six additional divisions: The Recreation Division plans and implements a wide variety of recreation, community center, athletic and cultural programs, services and special events. The Federal Way Community Center features three gyms, two pools, fitness area, climbing wall, senior lounge, sauna / steam rooms, classroom space and community rooms for rental use. The facility also serves as a location for many general recreation classes and some community events. The Dumas Bay Centre offers overnight and day use accommodations for business and retreats as well as rentals for events such as weddings. There is also a 12-acre passive-use park and beach.The Knutzen Family Theatre offers performance space for local artists and art organizations.The Park Maintenance and Operations Division maintains six community parks, 23 neighborhood parks and six major. The city also maintains 23 undeveloped open spaces and three trail systems for use by its citizens, defining a park system that exceeds 1,000 acres. This division is also responsible for facility maintenance and operations.


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Anna Anderson is known as 'the best of of several impostors who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia'. Picture: The Age, Australia
DNA evidence seemed to have put an end to the the claims of American Anna Anderson and others to be the lost princess. Now a new book to be published in Yekaterinburg, scene of the slaying of the Russian royals, will challenge the view that all the Romanovs were shot in a dank cellar in July 1918.
Anastasia - the youngest of the tsar's four daughters - was 17 when she was supposedly killed in 1918.
What makes the theory even more intriguing is that the author is leading Russian historian Veniamin Alekseyev, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences who was a member of the Russian government commission which investigated the authenticity of bones purporting to the those of the royals. He became convinced Nicholas II's remains had been found, but he is far less certain about Grand Duchess Anastasia's, whose bone remnants are - officially - interred in St Petersburg.
'I do not assume presumptuously she was executed by the Bolsheviks, nor do I assume she remained alive', he said, reported Itar-Tass. 'This is for the reader to decide. On the basis of the archive documents discovered, and new Russian and foreign evidence I have seen since 1991 as a scientist, I have reasons to believe the royal family's fate is not as certain as it has been believed for almost 100 years'.
The mysterious Anna Anderson - also known at various times by the family names Tschaikovsky and Manahan - was for years during the Cold War seen as a possible Anastasia, though her claim was rejected by a number of relatives and servants of the royal family after they met her. Later DNA tests after her death in 1984 were seen to establish her real identity as Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker with a history of mental illness. A lock of her hair and medical samples showed no link to the Romanovs, according to scientists.
Yet the author of the new book - 'Who are you, Ms Tchaikovskaya?' - is concerned that she has been labelled an imposter too easily.
Veniamin Alekseyev, pictures: Ural Institute for the Humanities and Natalya Zhigareva, 'Uralskiy Rabochiy' newspaper
Alekseyev has unearthed documentary evidence from the Russian State Archive and elsewhere to produce 'the first-ever publication of evidence of the imperial family's confidantes, opinions of Romanov House members and doctors, who treated the woman and came to the conclusion 'the patient's identification as the Grand Duchess is quite possible and even probable'.'
He argues against the sole reliance on DNA testing of remains discovered in the Porosyonkov log locality, near Yekaterinburg. Historians have ignored archive documents that cast considerable doubt over this version, he said.
'The interests of both the Bolsheviks and Kolchak (leader of the White Guard Movement which opposed Communism) under whose auspices the Yekaterinburg tragedy was investigated in 1918, uniquely coincided in this case. The former needed an image of an uncompromising new government determined to wipe out the old world without a trace, and the latter - a Great Russia without an emperor,' said Alekseyev.
Alekseyev admits he touches on a very delicate issue regarding whose remains were buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg. He hopes for new insights when documents pertaining to the royal family are released in 2018. These evidently concern secret diplomatic contacts between Germany and the Soviet Union over the German born tsarina Alexandra and her daughters, and a possible secret exchange in the First World War.
Romanov family pictured in their exile in Tobolsk, September 1917-April 1918. Pictures: Zlatoust City Museum
Leading French historian Marc Ferro has long argued that the wife of Nicholas II and the imperial couple's daughters were saved. Documents in Vatican archives are said to support this.
'Why such mercy on the part of the Bolsheviks? After the leftist Social-Revolutionaries assassinated German Ambassador Mirbach, Wilhelm II could breach the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which would have ruined the Soviet regime. Therefore, they had to negotiate,' said Alekseyev. 'All over the world this issue has been degraded for decades by unpretentious stage productions, garbage literature and films.
'We need scientific clarity over this complicated issue. Therefore, I am only publishing the documents. Where the truth lies, is up to the readers to decide.'
In 1995 Alekseyev discovered a document in the Siberian town of Tobolsk which convinced him the tsar's bones had been discovered.
'Before I got my hands on these documents six months ago I had strong doubts that the remains were those of the Tsar. But today my doubts have vanished,' he said at the time.
One of Alekseyev's documents belonged to a dentist, Maria Rendel, who examined Nicholas from late 1917 until mid-1918. Rendel wrote that the Tsar had 'a mouthful of rotten teeth'. Decades later a medical expert studying what was thought to be the Tsar's skull said it showed signs of the dental disease paradontosis.
The historian has long argued that evidence hidden in Russian archives, and those of European royal families, can hold clues as to the fate of the Russian royals. Following Anderson's appearance, the Soviet Foreign Minister Georgi Chicherin said: 'The fate of the young daughters of the czar is at present unknown to me. I have read in the press that they are now in America'.
Ferro pointed to testimony from Gleb Botkin, who identified the tormented Anderson as the grand duchess.
'Being the son of Dr. Botkin, the tsar's physician who was murdered with him at Yekaterinburg, (Gleb) knew the sisters well and was their playmate for several years, right down to their incarceration at Yekaterinburg. He recognised her at once as Anastasia,' said Ferro.
Anderson appeared in Berlin in 1920. Originally she was labelled Fraulein Unbekannt - Miss Unknown - after refusing to give her identity. Later she used the name Tschaikovsky. An investigation by the tsarina's brother concluded she was Franziska Schanzkowska, though she remained a focus of media attention.
She emigrated to the United States in 1968, marrying Virginia history professor Jack Manahan.
The Russian Orthodox Church has long expressed reservations over the authenticity of the bones. DNA tests conducted in several Western countries were said to match the bones to a number of royal relatives, including Philip, the husband of the British Queen, Elizabeth II.


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When was the last time you...
- Received an account update full of glaring generalities?
- Gave into a salesperson, lowered the price, and still lost the business?
- Counted on the "superstar" to hit a home run and found out he struck out?
Most of us have experienced these frustrating situations and have had to deal with the consequences. In today's marketplace of increased complexity, constant pressure is placed on the sales team to deliver the numbers, but too often sales managers are expected to select, shape, and coach their team to excellence with few tools—and they often fall short of giving the quality support that is required to develop a team of top performing professionals.
There are many challenges in leading a winning sales team. Our research has identified three key challenges that sales managers most commonly face.
How are you currently approaching these situations, and are you getting the results you are looking for?
1. Reversing the 80/20 Rule
"The sales results of my top performers run significantly higher than those of my average producers. Our team pretty much reflects the 80/20 rule.''
It may be a challenge to build a sales force of all "20 percenters" but doubling this group is certainly within reason. The good news is that the top 20% are not doing anything superhuman, and their behavior patterns that influence their success can be defined and replicated.
Accepting that 20% of your salespeople bring in 80% of your revenue is like accepting that 80% of your manufacturing machines are, on the average, producing one-fourth of your most productive machines. That output level would never be acceptable; it would be absurd.
Building a uniform selling system is required to define the quantity and quality of activities for individuals to produce at top performing levels. This system will enable managers to monitor and measure improvements in the team's performance.
2. Severe Pricing Pressure
"Even though we provide a highly technical and complex solution, we find that our prospects, and even our most knowledgeable customers, are forcing us to compete as a commodity with severe pricing pressures."
The more complex the situation becomes, the more customers and salespeople alike try to simplify things. To the customer, the simplest differentiator is price, and in the absence of a quality decision process to help them understand the value of your products and services, they will tend to focus on it and use it as the criterion when making their decision.
Your customers should be looking at their situation in ways they have not thought through before and quantifying the consequences of not having your solution. Your role is to guide them through a collaborative decision process, much like doctors would as they diagnose a patient.
If you help your customers/patients come to an understanding of the severity of their situation, they will be willing to invest in resolving their problem.
3. Resistance to Changing Behavior
"I realize I'm supposed to be the coach, but even after repeated coaching sessions, my salespeople keep bringing issues to my desk that should have been easily handled without me. They just don't get it!"
They get it, but if you keep doing it for them, they have no incentive to change.
Go beyond proactive to inter-active. A proactive manager gives the salesperson direction and a plan, assumes the salesperson will execute effectively, and waits for the results to roll in: management by assumption. By the time the results are reported, it's too late to provide productive guidance. It's like an athletic coach handing out the game plan, asking if there are any questions, and then heading back to the office to work on administrative details as the team takes the field.
To use an interactive approach, first reach agreement with the salesperson on an action plan that defines specific behaviors, in terms of the quantity and quality of their sales activity. Then interact with the salesperson regularly and "course-correct" as you move forward.
* * *
Sales leaders who can meet these three challenges will replace frustration with confidence and direction for the individuals on their team and themselves. The results? A high-performing team producing more profitable and predictable revenue streams.


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Netskope is architected to accommodate flexible deployment choices and make it easy for you to accomplish your goals. Whether your objective is to find apps and assess risk for users on your corporate network, enforce policies across both sanctioned and unsanctioned apps for remote users, or discover and secure the sensitive content in your cloud, we can help you get there. We offer the broadest range of non-mutually exclusive in-line and out-of-band deployment options.
Come see us at RVAsec! Register now


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Advertisement |
General Idriss Déby Itno (إدريس ديبي) (born 1952) is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.
Déby was born in Fada as the son of a herder. After finishing school he entered the Officers' School in N'Djamena. From there he was sent to France for training, returning to Chad in 1976 with a professional pilot certificate. He remained loyal to the army and to President Félix Malloum until central authority crumbled in 1979. Déby tied his fortunes to those of Hissène Habré, one of the chief Chadian warlords. A year after Habré became President in 1982, in exchange for his loyalty, Déby was made commander-in-chief of the army. He distinguished himself in 1984 by destroying pro-Libyan forces in Eastern Chad. In 1985 Habré removed him from his post and sent him to Paris to follow a course at the École de Guerre; on his return he was made chief military advisor to the Presidency. In 1987 he confronted Libyan forces on the field, adopting tactics that inflicted heavy losses to enemy forces. A rift emerged in 1989 between Habré and Déby over the increasing power of the Presidential Guard. Habré accused Déby of preparing a coup d'état, motivating Déby to flee to Libya. He moved to Sudan and formed the Patriotic Salvation Movement, an insurgent group, supported by Libya and Sudan, which started operations against Habré in October 1989. He unleashed a decisive attack on 10 November 1990, and on 2 December Déby's troops marched unopposed into the capital, N'Djaména.
After three months of provisional government, on 28 February 1991, a charter was approved for Chad with Déby as president. A new constitution was approved by referendum in March 1996, followed by a presidential election in June. Déby received first place in the first round but fell short of a majority; he was then elected president in the second round, held in July, with 69% of the vote. He was re-elected in the May 2001 presidential election, winning in the first round with 63.17% of the vote, according to official results, although international observers noted irregularities in the election process. In June 2005, a successful referendum was held to eliminate a two-term constitutional limit, which enabled Déby to run again in 2006. He was a candidate in the 2006 presidential election, held May 3, which was greeted with an opposition boycott. According to official results Déby won the election with 64.67% of the vote; this was revised downward from the initially announced result of 77.6%. Idriss Deby is currently ranked 17th on Parade Magazine's 2009 World's Worst Dictator list.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday extolled the "essential rightness" of the United States in global affairs as he urged demoralized U.S. diplomats to act firmly and aggressively as they promote and carry out the Trump administration's foreign policies.
In a town hall pep talk to State Department employees, Pompeo explained that his repeated calls for the agency to regain its "swagger" meant that diplomats should act with confidence, knowing that the U.S. cause is just. The event was closed to journalists as Pompeo told staff he wanted his conversations with them to be private but the State Department released excerpts of his prepared remarks.
"Swagger is not arrogance; it is not boastfulness, it is not ego," Pompeo said, according to the excerpts. "No, swagger is confidence; in one's self, in one's ideas. In our case, it is America's essential rightness. And it is aggressiveness born of the righteous knowledge that our cause is just, special, and built upon America's core principles."
"Our task is to preserve our civilization of human dignity, individual liberty, democracy, national sovereignty, and the rule of law, and to challenge anyone seeking to take it down," he said. "We should be proud and confident in America and her values — we should carry that diplomatic swagger to the ends of the earth; humbly, nobly and with the skill and courage I know you all possess."
Pompeo, who replaced his fired predecessor Rex Tillerson last month, is in his third week on the job. He pledged at his confirmation hearing and has said publicly on numerous occasions that he wants the State Department to get its "swagger" back. Those words were met with relief from many beleaguered State Department employees who were critical of Tillerson's endorsement of major budget cuts and staff reductions.
The former CIA chief has already reversed some of Tillerson's most unpopular directives by lifting a 16-month hiring freeze and restoring a program allowing diplomatic spouses to work in embassies abroad.
Still, many diplomats remain concerned as Trump has withdrawn from several key agreements that had been diplomatic achievements of the previous administration, such as the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord and a Pacific Rim trade deal. It has also turned its back on decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the U.S. embassy to the holy city from Tel Aviv.
Pompeo, however, maintained that Trump appreciates diplomacy and will use it as a force to protect American interests.
"We are fortunate that our President values and understands the power of diplomacy, and knows that we must use every tool in the diplomatic toolkit," he said.


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CSP approved at EB November 2017 session.
Revision 03 approved by the RD in December 2018.
Revision 04 approved by the RD in May 2019.
Revision 05 approved by the RD in July 2020.
Search specific operation documents by country, operation type or operation ID number (if you have it). CSP stands for Country Strategic Plan; an ICSP is an Interim Country Strategic Plan; a T-ICSP is a Transitional Interim Country Strategic Plan; a LEO is a Limited Emergency Operation; MCSP, IMCSP T-IMCSP and MLEO are their multi-country equivalents.
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Here is a new interview with Joey from OK Magazine
Joey McIntyre's Culture Vulture Outtakes
February 1st, 2010 10:56 am / Author: Valerie Nome
Joey McIntyre stops by the OK! office on Friday, along with his fellow New Kids On The Block Jon Knight, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood.
It's perfect timing, considering his Culture Vulture is in the OK! on newsstands now. Psst … this is what you won't find in the magazine.
The pop icon, 37, who wed Barrett in 2003, is dad to sons Griffin, 2, and Rhys, one month.
Favorite thing to collect?
Money. No, I'm kidding. I know you're going to put that down. It's too late. I let it out now. [laughs] I can't throw things away. I'm not a pack rat, but I like papers and receipts. Meaningful receipts, like my wife and I's first date, or a cool dinner with friends. I have receipts from dinners from 10-15 years ago that I can't let go of. There's nothing better than going out to eat, and you look at the date, you have the date there, it's all printed out, you remember what you ate, you remember where you were. It's fun.
Favorite family activity?
Disneyland is pretty cool. Just the fact that you're going to Disneyland is fun. Just saying you're going is a good time.
Favorite celebrity?
He's radical and he's tough, but I like Alec Baldwin. He speaks his mind, and I'm sure he's definitely a lefty. He's very liberal – not that I'm not liberal – I'm definitely a Democrat. But other than that, he speaks his mind, he's funny, and he's a great actor. I admire his honesty.
Favorite album?
My favorite album would be U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind. That was an amazing album, and for them to be still doing what they do – that was almost ten years ago, that album – but it's still so fresh. That was a great album.
Favorite movie?
Definitely in my top three is a movie called Midnight Run with Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. It's a road movie. It's hilarious and funny, and it's got a little bit of everything and a lot of one-liners. That I like.
Here's a pic of Joey and I:


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
AP Chief Medical Writer
(AP) - After decades of qualms about lung cancer screening, the American Cancer Society says there now is enough evidence to recommend it, but only for current and former heavy smokers ages 55 to 74 and after a frank talk about risks and benefits.
The new guidelines, announced Friday, are a cautious but exciting step against the world's most deadly cancer, doctors who wrote the advice say.
It is based on a big study in 2011 that found annual, low-dose CT scans _ a type of X-ray _ could cut the chances of dying of lung cancer by 20 percent and from any cause by nearly 7 percent.
The study only included older people who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or the equivalent, such as two packs a day for 15 years. Whether screening would help others isn't known, so scans were not advised for them.
"We're trying to make sure we restrict harm that might come from screening," such as unneeded biopsies and follow-up procedures when scans falsely suggest cancer, said Dr. Richard Wender, family medicine chief at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Lung cancer is fairly rare before age 55, so "the benefits of screening are going to be less if you start at a younger age."
Wender, a former Cancer Society president, led the guidelines panel. Three of its 20 members have ties to companies that make cancer treatment or imaging products. The scans cost $100 to as much as $400 and are not covered by Medicare or private insurers.
"We believe insurance companies should cover this test for the right people _ not for everybody," Wender said.
More than 160,000 people die of lung cancer in the United States alone each year, and the vast majority are diagnosed after the disease has spread.
Cancer screening has provoked great argument in recent years, especially over when and how often women should get mammograms and whether men should have PSA blood tests to look for prostate cancer.
Some of the most influential guidelines come from a government-appointed panel _ the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force _ but it hasn't considered lung cancer screening since 2004, when it said there wasn't enough evidence to recommend for or against it. An update is in the works now.
The Cancer Society used to recommend screening with chest X-rays but withdrew that advice in 1980 after studies showed they weren't saving lives. Since then, the CT scans have come into wider use, and several medical groups backed limited screening with them.
Many private companies also market CT scans directly to the public, including for some who are at lower risk for lung cancer than the people in major studies have been.
WellStar Health System, a network of hospitals and private doctors in suburban Atlanta, has screened nearly 900 people since 2008. Less than 3 percent were referred for lung biopsies because of suspicious findings, and of those, 70 percent turned out to have lung cancer, said screening coordinator Vickie Beckler.
The system generally follows the advice of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a group of top cancer centers, but eligibility for scans is "a very fluid area" that's being refined, she said. Patients younger than 50 need a doctor's referral for a scan, but if they want one and have major risk factors, "it should be their prerogative to have access to screening as long as they understand the risks and benefits involved and come to that decision with their physician," she said.
Kathy DeJoseph, 62, of suburban Atlanta, is glad she was screened as part of a study at WellStar. Several years of scans found nothing but last year, one detected cancer.
"I'd have been dead had I not had that scan," she said. "I was very, very lucky."
She also finally quit smoking after 40 years to qualify for lung cancer surgery.
Counseling smokers on how to quit is part of the Cancer Society's guidance. Having a scare from a scan "is a great motivator for people to quit smoking _ fear that they might have had lung cancer, that they dodged a bullet, really causes people to change and take a look at their behavior," Wender said.
People also should be told that a normal scan doesn't mean no change is needed.
"The absolute worse thing that would happen" is people thinking "now I'm safe and I can continue smoking," he said.
Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org
National Cancer Institute: http://1.usa.gov/UZq7Vt
Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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A few months back, I talked about the books we just can't seem to get to, that languish in our to-read piles collecting dust bunnies and resenting us. On a contrasting and more positive note, I started thinking about the opposite – the books I've been so drawn into and enthralled by that I've read them in one or two sittings, while my hands cramp, my elbows go numb from propping me up, and the sun outside rises and sets, rises and sets.
We've all had the experience of being unable to step away from a book. I'm (only a little) ashamed to admit I have cancelled plans with friends and family before, weakly fake-coughing into the telephone. "I know, I know," I'll say faintly, trying to turn the pages as quietly as possible, "it's so sudden. A real shame. I hope it's just a 24-hour bug."
I've spent days at work, watching the clock, anxiously drumming my fingers on my desk and feeling desperately, perversely afraid that somehow, the characters in the book are going on without me, and I'm missing out on the action. Fortunately, they've all stayed right where I left them, to date.
I was most recently felled by David Benioff's City of Thieves, the fictional account of two young men making their way through the bomb-riddled city during the Nazis' siege of Leningrad in WWII. It was completely riveting, with some of the most engaging characters I've come across. I couldn't stop reading.
What is it that makes a book so captivating that we shirk obligations, risk papercuts, and forget basic necessities like food and water while lost in its pages?
Sometimes it's a case of well-written suspense, of wanting – no, needing – to know the outcome of the story. It is with no small sense of embarrassment that I confess I read all four of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels in under a week. Aimed at an audience much younger than I, formulaic and predictable, with repetitive, trite writing, I was nevertheless completely unable to stop. "Good Lord," I'd say aloud, while dialing to cancel my dentist appointment, "these are so bad. She really ought to be ashamed. " Other women – and at least one man – my age have whispered similar admissions to me, so at least I know I'm not alone.
If an author is inventive and convincing enough, a story can actually make the reader feel like they've entered a different universe, with its own customs, superstitions and characters. Tolkien's The Hobbit had this effect on me. I so enjoyed learning the land, the language and the ways of hobbits that I didn't want to come up for air until I was finished.
The Harry Potter books did that to a lot of people. With the creativity of: specific spells, magical devices and contraptions, wizarding specialties and a whole imaginary sport, Rowling fans were among the most rabid, waiting in long lines, speculating on internet fan-sites, and devouring each book as quickly as their eyes could scan.
In some cases, we grow to really care about the characters we're getting to know, and I for one have difficulty abandoning them midway through their story, particularly if the story involves hardship. It makes me feel like when I close the book to go to sleep for the night, they're stuck there, in the middle of their turmoil, until I choose to start again. To Kill a Mockingbird's Tom Robinson, the father and son in Cormac McCarthy's The Road and the entire Salmon family in The Lovely Bones all had that effect on me, and I chose reading over sleep in each case.
Regardless of the why, this is a phenomenon by no means unique to me. It's not unusual to spot reading-related dark circles under eyes around here, and my coworkers were only too happy to give me insight into the books they just couldn't put down.
Books we can't put down
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling.


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Dept. of Computer Sc. » Pattern Recognition » Courses » WS 18/19 » Projekt Flat-Panel CT Reconstruction [ProjFCR]
Projekt Flat-Panel CT Reconstruction [ProjFCR]Summary
The aim of this master project is to build a state-of-the-art flat-panel CT reconstruction software.
The project is designed in two parts.
In the first part, the basics of CT reconstruction will be
developed in a group.
All participants will
create a basic CT reconstruction pipeline that is able to reconstruct flat-panel CT images.
The following topics will be taught and implemented in this course:
- Parallel-beam reconstruction
- Fan-beam reconstruction
- Cone-beam reconstruction
- Hardware-acceleration using the graphics card
In the second part, the participants will be asked to adopt the designed pipeline individually to specific problems in CT reconstruction:
- Limited field-of-view
- Limited acquisition angle
- Reconstruction with few projections
- Noise reduction
You will incorporate your work into a fully-fledged CT reconstruction and analysis tool that makes it easy to evaluate the reconstruction algorithms.
At the end of the project, the designed algorithms will be tested on a real scanner at Siemens AX, Forchheim.
Dates & Rooms: Tuesday, 10:00 - 12:00; Room: 0.01-142 CIP Lecturer
Fahrig, Rebecca
Maier, Andreas OrganizationNo registration is required to attend this course. If you are interested, come to the first lecture on the 16.10.2018 at 10 a.m. in room 0.01-142 (Huber-CIP). CreditsYou can get either 5 or 10 ECTS credits for this project. The following options are available: 5 ECTS (counts as: Hochschulpraktikum) 10 ECTS (counts as Hochschulpraktikum (5 ECTS) + Forschungspraktikum (5 ECTS), or Master Project Computer Science (10 ECTS)) ContactIn case of questions regarding the course, feel free to write us an e-mail to: |


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R.S.V.P. Food & Party Outlet
Win an Akron RubberDuck's Birthday Party
Official Contest Rules
The Contest is subject to these Official Rules except as expressly stated otherwise. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase or payment will not increase your chances of winning. The Contest is sponsored by R.S.V.P. Food & Party Outlet, P.O. Box 1910, Akron, OH 44309 (the "Sponsor")
1. Eligibility: The Contest is open to legal residents of Ohio who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the Contest start date. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. Void where prohibited.
Store Associates of "Sponsor" are eligible to enter and win. Corporate Associates are ineligible.
2. Contest Period: Contest begins at 8:00 am Eastern Time ("ET") on April 4, 2019 and ends at 8:00 pm Eastern Time ("ET") on August 31, 2019. Entries for the Drawing must be received by 8:00 pm Eastern Time ("ET") on August 31, 2019; the Contest end date according to Sponsor's time.
3. How to Enter the Contest: Online entries only. To enter the Contest users need to go to the RSVP Food and Party Outlet website, click on RubberDuck's contest then complete the contest form. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Only one entry per natural person per day during the Contest Period. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a winner, the winner will be deemed to be the person in whose name the e-mail account governing the e-mail address was opened. Sponsor is not responsible for late, incomplete, void, corrupted, garbled, misdirected, or otherwise unintelligible Entries and for any problems, bugs or malfunctions Entrants may encounter when submitting their entry. Incomplete, garbled, corrupted, or otherwise illegible entries are void and will not be accepted. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify false entries or entries suspected of being false and to disqualify an Entrant it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or violating these Official Rules.
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5. Prize: One (1) winner will be awarded a RubberDuck's Birthday party at Canal Park valued at $330. Prize includes: Predesignated Stadium Food for 10 Children and 10 Adults, a special treat for the birthday child AND a $100.00 RSVP Food and Party Outlet Gift Card. Certain restrictions apply. No substitution, transfer, or cash redemption of prize permitted, provided however that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value should the advertised prize become unavailable for any reason. Selected Entrant cannot assign or transfer their prize to another person or business. Selected Entrant is solely responsible for any and all federal, state, and local taxes on prize. All activities related to the prize are at the Selected Entrant's own risk and subject to whatever restrictions are imposed by the entities that govern such activities. Purchases of alcohol, tobacco and lottery are excluded when R.S.V.P. Food & Party Outlet gift cards are provided as prizes. If prize notification or any prize is returned as undeliverable, prize will be forfeited and an alternate Selected Entrant may be selected. Sponsor will not make multiple attempts to contact Selected Entrants.
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Posted by Editoress on 07/6/11
After a one-month hiatus from race action, the Plastiglas Ontario Cup Series returns to action this weekend in Ontario's beautiful cottage country. Plastiglas Ontario Cup XC # 5 takes place this Sunday, July 10th, at Buckwallow Cycling Centre, just north of Gravenhurst in the heart of Muskoka.
This exciting venue and race course showcases some of Ontario's best mountain bike trails. The singletrack flows with elements of roots, Canadian Shield outcroppings and some technical challenges. The event will feature three courses for riders of all ability levels. The 1:30 pm Expert/Elite course will feature a never before raced section called West D'Nile. This 500 metre singletrack rides almost entirely on exposed Canadian Shield outcroppings and is one of Ontario's most unique, and challenging singletracks.
"The course is not very hilly, but it's rocky technical elements offer something unique to the Plastiglas Ontario Cup Series," explains Chico Racing's course designer, Sean Ruppel.
Buckwallow has become many riders' favourite stop of the series over the years as the course and the charm of the Muskokas continually impress participants. Muskoka offers plenty of accommodations that are very close to the race venue, and Buckwallow is only a 1.5 hour drive north of the GTA.
Pre-registration will remain open until July 6th at midnight. One-Day Licenses are available on site for Sport and Beginner Categories as is event day registration. For more information, and registration visit www.chicoracing.com.
Courtesy Chico Racing
Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


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Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic, complex, autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy neuromuscular connections. This causes problems with communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. MG affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially the eyes, mouth, throat, and limbs.
In the U.S., MG affects about 20 people in 100,000. Women affected by MG generally see onset of the condition by age 20 to 30; the onset of MG in men most commonly occurs after the age of 50. However, MG can occur at any age. Males are more often affected than females.
What causes myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis is not inherited, nor is contagious. A temporary form may develop in the fetus acquired through antibodies passed to the fetus from mothers with MG. Generally, neonatal forms of MG resolve in two to three months. The disorder generally develops spontaneously later in life as a result of antibodies made in a person's body that attack normal receptors on muscle, to which nerves send impulses. This blocks the chemical released by the nerve endings (acetylcholine) from stimulating muscle contraction.
What are the types of myasthenia gravis?
According to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA), MG occurs rarely in children. However, there are three types of MG in children, including the following:
Congenital MG. This is a very rare, nonimmune form of MG that is inherited as an autosomal recessive disease. This means that both males and females are equally affected and that two copies of the gene, one inherited from each parent, are necessary to have the condition. Symptoms of congenital MG usually begin in the baby's first year and are lifelong.
Transient neonatal MG. Between 12 and 20 percent of babies born to mothers with MG may have a temporary form of MG. This occurs when antibodies common in MG cross the placenta to the developing fetus. Neonatal MG usually lasts only a few weeks, and babies are not at greater risk for developing MG later in life.
Juvenile MG. This autoimmune disorder develops typically in female adolescents, especially white females. It is a lifelong condition that may go in and out of remission. About 10 percent of MG cases are juvenile-onset.
MGFA says that, in adults, MG may occur at any age, although symptoms begin to appear more often between the ages of 20 to 30 in women and between the ages of 50 to 60 in men. MGFA estimates that myasthenia gravis is diagnosed in 20 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S.
What are the symptoms of myasthenia gravis?
The following are the most common symptoms of myasthenia gravis. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
Visual problems, including drooping eyelids (ptosis) and double vision (diplopia). About two-thirds of people with MG initially have these symptoms.
Severe muscle weakness and fatigue that may vary rapidly in intensity over days or even hours and worsen as muscles are used (early fatigue)
Facial muscle involvement causing a mask-like appearance; a smile may appear more like a snarl
Difficulty in swallowing and/or pronouncing words
Weakness of the neck and/or limbs
The symptoms of myasthenia gravis may resemble other conditions. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
Exacerbations (worsening of symptoms) and remissions (easing of symptoms) may occur periodically during the course of MG. Remissions, however, are only rarely permanent or complete.
How is myasthenia gravis diagnosed?
The diagnosis of myasthenia gravis is made after the sudden or gradual onset of specific symptoms and after diagnostic testing. During the physical examination, the doctor obtains a complete medical history, and may also ask if there is a family history of any medical problems.
A primary characteristic of MG results in the response of an affected person to certain medications. When given an anticholinesterase medication, such as neostigmine (Prostigmin) or edrophonium (Tensilon), muscle weakness often dramatically improves for a brief time. This provides strong support for the diagnosis of MG.
Other diagnostic tests that may be performed to help confirm the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis include:
Blood tests. These tests look for antibodies that may be present in people with myasthenia gravis: anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies are present in the blood of over 85 percent of affected persons; anti-MuSK antibodies have been found in about 30 to 40 percent of people with MG who do not have acetylcholine receptor antibodies.
Genetic tests. Diagnostic tests that evaluate for conditions that have a tendency to run in families.
Electromyogram (EMG). A test that measures the electrical activity of a muscle or a group of muscles. An EMG can detect abnormal electrical muscle activity due to diseases and neuromuscular conditions.
What is the treatment for myasthenia gravis?
Specific treatment for myasthenia gravis will be determined by your doctor based on:
Your age, overall health, and medical history
Extent of the condition
Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
Expectations for the course of the condition
Your opinion or preference
There is no cure for MG, but the symptoms can generally be controlled. Myasthenia gravis is a lifelong medical condition and the key to medically managing MG is early detection.
The goal of treatment is to increase general muscle function and prevent secondary respiratory and nutritional problems since the swallowing and breathing muscles are affected by this condition. Most people with MG can improve their muscle strength and lead normal or near normal lives. In more severe cases, respiratory or nutritional support may be required due to breathing or swallowing difficulty.
Treatment may include:
Medications. Anticholinesterase medications, such as Prostigmin or Tensilon; steroids; and/or immunosuppressive (suppress the immune system's response) medications may be used.
Thymectomy. Surgical removal of the thymus gland. The role of the thymus gland in MG is not fully understood, and the thymectomy may or may not improve symptoms. However, thymectomy reduces symptoms in more than 70 percent of patients who do not have cancer of the thymus, possibly by altering the immune system response, according to the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke.
Plasmapheresis. A procedure that removes abnormal antibodies from the blood and replaces the blood with normal antibodies through donated blood.
Immunoglobulin. A blood product that helps to decrease the immune system's attack on the nervous system, given intravenously (IV).
The extent of the problems is dependent on the severity of the condition and the presence of other problems that could affect the individual. In severe cases, a breathing machine may be required to help the person breathe easier.
The health care team educates the family after hospitalization on how to best care for the person at home and outlines specific clinical problems that require immediate medical attention by their doctor. A person with MG requires frequent medical evaluations throughout his or her life.
It is important to allow as much independent function and self-care as possible and to promote appropriate activities to ensure a sense of normalcy.
What is myasthenia crisis?
Myasthenia crisis is a condition of extreme muscle weakness, particularly of the diaphragm and chest muscles that support breathing. Myasthenia crisis may be caused by a lack of MG medication or by other factors, such as a respiratory infection, emotional stress, surgery, or some other type of stressor. In severe crisis, a person may have to be placed on a ventilator to assist breathing until muscle strength returns with treatment.
Precautions, which may help to prevent or minimize the occurrence of myasthenia crisis, include, but are not limited to, the following:
Taking anticholinesterase medications 30 to 45 minutes prior to meals to reduce the risk of aspiration (food entering the lung passages)
Taking anticholinesterase medications precisely as ordered by the doctor to help maintain the strength of the breathing muscles
Avoiding crowds and contact with people with respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu
Taking in proper nutrition to maintain optimal weight and muscle strength
Alternate performance of physical activities with periods of rest
Using stress-reduction techniques and avoiding emotional extremes
Notify any health care provider of your condition when any medications are being prescribed as certain medications may interfere either with the disease or the action of the medications you take for MG.


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Anglers and boaters leaving or approaching public water will be required to take all reasonable steps to drain all water from their vessel, including live wells, bilges, motors, and any other receptacles or water intake systems. This applies to all types and sizes of boats, whether powered or not, personal watercraft, sailboats, or any other vessel used on public waters. The new rule applies to all public waters in Archer, Bastrop, Bell, Bosque, Burnet, Clay, Comal, Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Hamilton, Hays, Henderson (west of Highway 19), Hill, Johnson, Leon, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, Somervell, Travis, Wichita, and Williamson. Similar rules are in effect for 17 counties in North Texas — Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Jack, Kaufman, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, and Young. The Commission's actions on Thursday also modified rules that affect participants in fishing tournaments holding off-site weigh-ins. The changes allow anglers participating in a fishing tournament confined to one water body during a single day to transport live fish in water from that water body to an identified weigh-in location, provided all water is drained from their vessels before leaving the weigh-in location. Anglers will be required to possess documentation provided by tournament organizers that would identify them as participants in a tournament. The rules to add the 30 counties and the allowance for off-site tournament weigh-ins will take effect in late February or early March. Anglers are allowed to transport and use commercially purchased live bait in water provided they have a receipt that identifies the source of the bait. Any live bait purchased from a location on or adjacent to a public water body that is transported in water from that water body could only be used as bait on that same water body. Movement from one access point to another on the same lake during the same day does not require drainage and there is an exception for governmental activities and emergencies. Marine sanitary systems are not covered by the new regulations "Unfortunately, zebra mussel larvae, called veligers, are not visible to the naked eye," said Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries regional director based in Waco. "You could be transporting them on your boat and not even know it. This is why it's particularly important to always Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat and gear before heading to another water body." Zebra mussels became established in Texas in Lake Texoma in 2009. Over the last two years, zebra mussels have been found in Lakes Belton, Bridgeport, Lavon, Lewisville, and Ray Roberts. They can expand their range even farther by hitching a ride on trailered boats that have been immersed or moored in waters where they have established populations. The zebra mussel is a small, non-native mussel originally found in Eurasia. It has spread throughout Europe, where it is considered to be a major environmental and industrial menace. The mussel appeared in North America in the late 1980s and within 10 years had colonized all five Great Lakes and the Mississippi, Tennessee, Hudson, and Ohio River basins. The rapidly reproducing mussels, can have serious economic and recreational impact to Texas reservoirs. They can clog public-water intake pipes, harm boats and motors left in infested waters by covering boat hulls, clog water-cooling systems, annoy boat-dock owners by completely covering anything left under water, and make water recreation hazardous because of their sharp shells. For more information on zebra mussels and how to clean, drain and dry a boat, visit http://www.texasinvasives.org/
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Hewlett-Packard has found new leadership for its Autonomy information management software division in the form of Microsoft executive Robert Youngjohns, HP announced Friday.
Former Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch left the company in May.
As of Sept. 17, Youngjohns will serve as senior vice president and general manager of the Autonomy/Information Management business unit, and report to George Kadifa, executive vice president of HP Software, according to a statement. Youngjohns has served as president of Microsoft's North America region, and has also worked at Callidus Software, Sun Microsystems and IBM.
Along with growing Autonomy's business, Youngjohns is tasked with helping HP integrate Autonomy into the main software division, HP added.
HP, beset by tough competition in its server and PC businesses, is looking to enterprise software with its high-profit margins and steady maintenance revenue as a way to boost the balance sheet.
It bought Autonomy last year under the leadership of former CEO Leo Apotheker, an ex-SAP CEO who was ousted from HP after a brief and tumultuous run. The more than US$10 billion price HP paid for Autonomy has been widely criticized as far too steep.
In addition, it's not clear how well the Autonomy business is clicking post-merger. During HP's recent earnings call, CEO Meg Whitman told analysts that Autonomy "still requires a great deal of attention."
To help improve the Autonomy business, HP has implemented a global dashboard for tracking pending sales, as well as a single sales methodology and measures to boost customer satisfaction after the sale, Whitman added. With the appointment of Youngjohns, HP can add a seasoned software executive to that list.


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The Apache Lucy search engine library provides full-text search for dynamic programming languages. It is a "loose C" port of the Apache Lucene™ search engine library for Java.
The current release of Apache Lucy is 0.6.2. It requires the Apache Clownfish symbiotic object system.
After downloading and installing Lucy, consider stepping through the tutorial:
The Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open-source software projects, which provide software products for the public good.
The Apache projects are defined by collaborative consensus based processes, an open, pragmatic software license and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field.
Copyright © 2010-2015 The Apache Software Foundation, Licensed under the
Apache License, Version 2.0.
Apache Lucy, Lucy, Apache, the Apache feather logo, and the Apache Lucy project logo are trademarks of The
Apache Software Foundation. All other marks mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.


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There was a request for difficult questions, but having never brewed, this is all I've got:
Can you describe the most basic setup (preferably one with a reasonably low difficulty and high success rate) for a first time brewer? Information on where to purchase and likely cost would also be useful.
This is not limited to a specific type of beer, so a variety of answers are welcome. Stout, ale, pilsner, IPA?
There are beginner's guides all over the internet, sure, but none of them are from This Trusted Resource. ;)


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I have an inspirational post for you today, full of clever designs by our Design Team using SRM Stickers and Bazzill Basics Cardstock products. We love using Bazzill for our projects -- the cardstock, card and envelope sets, 'Just the Edge' decorative strips, the list goes on.
by Nina:
by Kathy:
by Jenyfur:
by Tobi:
by Tania:
by Jing-Jing:
by Jen M.:
by Helen:
by Gina:
by Deana:
by Amy:
by Carole:
I'll be back on Monday as we begin another week of sensational sticker projects. Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook FanPage as well, there's always something beautiful to see.


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Your options for takeout orders just doubled.
Two leaders in restaurant food delivery, Seamless and GrubHub, announced that they will merge on Monday.
Customers from more than 500 cities will be able to order from 20,000 local restaurants through the joint company.
The companies said in a statement that the merger will allow them to pool technology and offer orders from an expanded list of restaurants in the U.S. and also in the U.K.
For instance, Jonathan Zabusky, Seamless' CEO, said the merger would combine its popular iPad app with GrubHub's "Track Your Grub" feature, which sends customers updates on the status of their order.
Related: Yahoo buys Tumblr, promises to not 'screw it up'
The two companies made a combined $100 million in revenue in 2012, according to the press release.
GrubHub's co-founder Matt Maloney will be the CEO, while Zabusky will serve as president of the new company.


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"None of this should be taken as a recommendation to refrain from particular spending increases or tax cuts, or to avoid particular fiscal risks – that would lie beyond our remit. And there are those who believe fiscal policy is still too tight, given the pace of economic growth and the looseness of monetary policy. But …."
In a consensus assignment world, the job of a fiscal council is to stop deficit bias: the tendency clearly observable in some countries before the global financial crisis for deficits to creep up over time. In particular, when all is going well and the deficit appears not to be an issue, it is their job to tell the government to 'fix the roof while the sun shines'.


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Jesse Ventura on Principles & ValuesFormer Independent MN Governor; possible Presidential Challenger | |
Do I want Trump to be president? No. Do I want Hillary to be president? No. But I want Gary Johnson to be president, and that's why I'm voting for him. I showed the world that you don't have to join them to beat them, you just have to be visible enough so people know you're an option.
Gary Johnson is on the ballot in all 50 states. That alone should be enough of a reason for him to be included in the debates. And here's another one: if Trump really thinks he's qualified for president and if Hillary really thinks she's qualified for president, then why don't they prove it to the American people? Neither candidate is qualified until we see how they measure up against the competition on a debate stage.
The Star Tribune noted the new Pawlenty First Family's decorating style was homier than the "flamboyant Venturas." The library no longer featured a portrait of Ventura in knight's armor on a white stallion.
Clearly, there's something going on in our national psyche that the New York Times and the Washington Post don't want to examine. I'm tired of being told that anybody who questions the status quo is part of the disaffected, alienated element of our society that ought to wake up and salute the flag. Maybe being patriotic is about raising the curtain and wondering whether we've really been told the truth about things like September 11.
My father had 7 Bronze Stars for battles in WWII. He fought in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, came up through Anzio in Italy, and finished in Berlin. My mother Bernice was an Army nurse in North Africa. My brother Jan was in Vietnam. Not that any of my family would have cared, but I must have wondered how I could sit down with them at the dinner table: three veterans and one non-veteran. Especially in a time of war.
The Navy SEALs were created by Pres. Kennedy. SEAL stands for Sea-Air-Land, an elite team trained to carry out clandestine missions abroad. Basic training is called BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL). It lasted 22 weeks. It's set up so that, literally, only the strong survive. There was an 80% dropout rate.
"Can I see your ID please?" I blurted out.
"But I just showed HIM," she said, pointing at the cop.
"I don't care how old you are, I just want to know your name," I said, feeling kind of proud of such a good line. Well, she went through her purse until she found her ID again, presented it to me without a word.
Terry: "This was the first time my girlfriends & I had ever gone to a suburban bar. When I first saw Jesse, he appeared to be the biggest thing in the entire place. I couldn't get that fellow at the door out of my head. Finally I said, 'I'm going upstairs.' My girlfriend said, 'You're gonna go flirt with that guy and leave us down here; real nice.' But I couldn't help myself."
I paraded around while the people got what they came for: They hated my guts. I was earning between $35 and $65 per night.
In 1978, when an announcer started referring to me as Jesse "The Body" and the nickname stuck, I joined one of the bigger leagues.
In this particular dance, it's the bad guy who leads--and who gets to be the most creative. I developed a move called "The Body-breaker," where I'd pick the other guy up across my shoulder and shake him relentlessly while I jumped up and down. "The most brutal man in wrestling!" I'd yell at the crowds.
Well, in the '80's, the sport of wrestling became huge. Before long, we were accepted by mainstream America. The first WrestleMania, in 1985, sold out Madison Square Garden. I was called "wrestling Goldilocks" and featured alongside basketball superstars. My tag-team events were earning $3,000 a match.
At the Capitol, a big gift-wrapped box [arrived]; inside was a pair of red Everlast boxing gloves and, written in magic marker on one of them was: "To Governor Jesse Ventura--You Shocked the World. Muhammad Ali." I was stunned. Muhammad was watching TV the night I won.
When Senator McCain came to see me early in 2000, he had just begun taking on George W. Bush. I was supporting McCain, because I believed then that a veteran, like him, and a moderate--which he no longer is today--was what the country needed.
I looked McCain in the eye and broached a possibility. "Senator," I said, "if you will quit the Republican Party, I will break my promise to MN and I will run with you. You for president, me for vice president. And we will win the 2000 election."
He smiled and said, "Well, I'd love to have you on board, but I can't quit the Republican Party."
We enjoyed each other's company so much that Arnold made sure I got a part in his next project, "The Running Man." This time, I played Captain Freedom, an egomaniac ex-wrestler who's doing color commentary for a sadistic game show in an American police state in 2017. Some of that hit a little close to home.
So I went off to college. I parallel this to only a few other times in my life. Becoming a Navy frogman. Driving off from Minneapolis to become a pro wrestler. Getting cast to do "Predator" with Schwarzenegger. And winning the governorship.
I'd been to Harvard once before, more than 4 years earlier. After getting elected governor, the Kennedy School had invited me to speak at a "Pizza and Politics" evening.
I'd expected Harvard to be a stuffy, arrogant place. But when I got there that day and saw how bright everyone was--what could be better? I loved it.
VENTURA: You really kind of stand on an island, and you have to take your own punches and weather the storm as it goes along. I like that. I've been kind of a renegade my entire life and career. I'm very comfortable doing that. But the nice thing is, too, I don't have to answer to a political party, and I don't have to hire party cronies. I can get the best person for the job regardless of their party without having to hire within a party.
Q: Would you consider in 2004 running for president?
VENTURA: I'm flattered, but at this point in my life I don't think I would want the job, because the president really lives in a bubble. The president in itself is an oxymoron in a way because he is the leader of the free world, but he has no freedom himself at all. You can't go anywhere because of national security without being heavily guarded. It is really like living in a prison in its own way.
VENTURA: It wasn't really a mistake, but it did cause my family and myself heartache. Because I was bluntly honest, and when you become a politician, it can be very detrimental to be honest. It's easier to lie because if you're really truthful, sometimes the truth hurts. What I have learned as governor is that I represent the state of Minnesota. So in doing that, I sometimes tend to hold back now a little more on my personal opinions on some things.
When elections turn into horse races and popularity contests, the candidates who end up rising to the top are not necessarily the ones who have the brightest ideas about how to govern our nation. Sometimes they�re the ones who�ll do anything to win.
Candidates are applying for jobs as public servants, and we, the voters, and the ones doing the hiring. If we�re going to hire the right person for the job, we need to focus on the candidates� qualifications, their understanding of the issues that matter, and their plans for handling those issues. If any given candidate is too busy trashing his or her opponents to focus on the issues, then they�ve just told us they�re not qualified for the job
I believe that government�s proper role is limited to judging behavior that is harmful to people and property. Invariably, where the mega-libertarians screw up is carrying their argument for the rights of one person or group so far that they end up trampling on the rights of another. The right to swing your fist must end where your neighbor�s nose begins.
The Minnesota Reform Party success story stands in stark contrast to the national Reform Party. When we find ourselves caught up in an unproductive endeavor, it is wise to cut our losses and move on. It�s time for the Minnesota Reform Party to disconnect from the national party. It�s time to shift our energy and skills from unproductive national party activities to highly productive state party activities.
I realize this letter will come as bad news to many good people in other states who were hoping the Minnesota seed of success would take root in the national Reform Party. I too am sorry that did not happen. But it�s hard to grow a rose in a desert.
GOV. JESSE VENTURA: If Donald decides to become a candidate, it will be at that point in time. But I can't sit out here and say, "Yes, I'm endorsing Donald Trump" when he's not a candidate, because if he makes the choice, which is certainly his choice and the people close to him to make that choice. If he decides to the negative that, no, he doesn't want to get in as a candidate, well, then that makes me look kind of stupid. You know, and I don't like looking stupid.
[OTI explanation: Donald Trump briefly entered the Reform Party presidential primaries in 2000, but lost without winning primaries in any states. Pat Buchanan won 47 states and the Reform Party nomination; John Hagelin won 3 states. Jesse Ventura and Ross Perot were the major founders of the Reform Party; Ventura's faction encouraged Trump to enter the primaries.]
Politics is not my life. I have a career in radio and another career in film. I have a wife who is the sweetest person in the world and two kids who are growing up into terrific, well-rounded people. I don�t want to spend the rest of my life in politics. When I�m finished with my term as governor, I�m going back to the life that�s waiting for me in the private sector.
Their answers were very clear, very honest. They said, It�s the same story every four years. Whenever an election�s coming up, all the politicians come out and give you the same song and dance about the same issues, all the way up until they get elected. Then you don�t hear any more from them until it�s time for them to get elected again. We�re tired of it. If you want to keep us involved, don�t tell us what you think we want to hear, tell us the truth.
There�s a great need in our government right now for honesty. I speak my mind. You might not always like what you hear, but you�re gonna hear it anyway. I call it like I see it; I tell the truth. And if I don�t know something, I�ll say so. Then I�ll try to find the answer.
We need to keep a permanently tight rein on government spending. I believe working people should keep as much of their money as possible, and I believe they should have a more direct say in how it�s spent. But I don�t believe we need the government�s help as much as some think we do. That belief sets me apart from the Democrats, since their way of dealing with everything is to tax and spend.
I also believe that government has no business telling us how we should live our lives. I think our lifestyle choices should be left up to us. What we do in our private lives is none of the government�s business. That position rules out the Republican Party for me. As the clich� says, �I don�t want Democrats in the boardroom and I don�t want Republicans in the bedroom.�
But I do have a problem with the people who think they have some right to try to impose their beliefs on others. I hate what the fundamentalist fanatics are doing to our country. It seems as though, if everybody doesn�t accept their version of reality, that somehow invalidates it for them. Everybody must believe the same things they do. That�s what I find weak and destructive.
The �Big Plan� for Minnesota, which goes into effect in 2001, has three phases. The first deals with smart growth principles: focusing on urban renewal instead of adding to suburban sprawl. The second phase is called �Self-Sufficient People: You�re Gonna Make It On Your Own.� Remember that old saying about giving a man a fish and feeding him for a day, or teaching him to fish and feeding him for a lifetime? We�re going to be turning Minnesota�s social programs into fishing schools, instead of free fish markets. The third phase of the Big Plan, �Service, Not Systems,� is where we get to reform wasteful government: we�ll trim the fat from government spending, and curb excessive lawmaking with my �law review every fourth year� plan.
I thought, �Don�t we elect these people to represent us, the populace? It don�t seem like they�re doing that.� The council�s voting record was 7-0, 7-0, 7-0 on every issue! They weren�t even letting other people talk unless they agreed with them.
I believe I was destined to become mayor of Brooklyn Park. And maybe, by fulfilling that destiny to become mayor, I sealed my destiny to become governor. I hope I�m not destined to become president. I don�t say that with arrogance-- it�s only that everything seemed to fall so easily into place in both of my other races. But I truly wanted to be mayor and governor--I don�t want the presidency. I�ll never say never, because you never know what will happen. But 99% of me says no.
The Midwestern Governors� Conference (MGC) was created in December, 1962. The members of the conference include the governors of 13 Midwestern states. The MGC is a non-profit, bipartisan organization that brings together top state leaders to work cooperatively on important regional public policy issues.
The purpose of the Midwestern Governors� Conference is �to foster regional development, to attain greater efficiency in state administration, to facilitate interstate cooperation and improve intergovernmental relationships, and to provide a medium for the exchange of views and experiences on subjects of general importance to the people of the Midwestern states.� In pursuit of these objectives, the conference has, through the years, established a wide array of committees, task forces and study groups charged with investigating and reporting on various issues of regional concern.
Recent subject areas addressed by various MGC committees and working groups have included agriculture, economic development, trade, child support enforcement, worker retention and recruitment, and tourism promotion. The results of these efforts have ranged from written reports to cooperative efforts. The conference also addresses these and other issues through policy statements and resolutions.
The conference also seeks to meet its goal of providing a forum for the exchange of information by sponsoring periodic meetings. In addition to the annual meetings, the conference has occasionally sponsored special meetings and regional roundtables devoted to specific issues such as international trade, state anti-drug strategies, and child support enforcement efforts. The MGC is increasingly concentrating on federal programs and policies and their impact on the region. This growing focus led to the addition (in late 1998) of a Washington-based staff person to monitor federal issues for the MGC.
The National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation�s governors and one of Washington�s most respected public policy organizations. NGA provides governors with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing policy reports on innovative state programs and hosting networking seminars for state government executive branch officials. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.
Since their initial meeting in 1908 to discuss interstate water problems, governors have worked through the National Governors Association to deal with issues of public policy and governance relating to the states. The association�s ongoing mission is to support the work of the governors by providing a bipartisan forum to help shape and implement national policy and to solve state problems.
Fortune Magazine recently named NGA as one of Washington�s most powerful lobbying organizations due, in large part, to NGA�s ability to lead the debate on issues that impact states. From welfare reform to education, from the historic tobacco settlement to wireless communications tax policies, NGA has influenced major public policy issues while maintaining the strength of our Federalist system of government.
There are three standing committees�on Economic Development and Commerce, Human Resources, and Natural Resources�that provide a venue for governors to examine and develop policy positions on key state and national issues.
[Note: NGA positions represent a majority view of the nation�s governors, but do not necessarily reflect a governor�s individual viewpoint. Governors vote on NGA policy positions but the votes are not made public.]


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Amazon has launched Amazon TextBuyIt, a service that allows Amazon customers to purchase items via mobile phone text message.
To use the service, customers text the name of a product, its description, or its UPC or ISBN number to Amazon (262966). If Amazon stocks the item, the user will get the first two results sent to them. To purchase am item, users reply with 1 or 2 and are prompted for their email address and zip code. The service then calls the user and completes the checkout process using an automated voice system. Like regular Amazon orders, users can later track the item from Amazon.com.
The service is free to use, however items that are available as "Deal of the Day" or have a "Gold Box Discount" will not be discounted when purchased through Amazon TextBuyIt.
The obvious application for the service is price comparisons from within a physical store; customers in Borders for example could SMS a book title to see whether Amazon stocks it for less. Expect to see people texting Amazon from a store near you in the coming months.